Zak, Hayley Senior Capstone

Abstract

The Developmental Interference of Nature Versus Nurture: The Mutual Influence of Parents on Child Behaviors ______________________ Background: With research on child development dating back to the 1800s, society has remained persistent in the desire to analyze the behavioral characteristics of children and the surrounding factors that impact those patterns. Studies correlating to the argument of nature versus nurture affirm that parents influence the development of cognizant, socio-emotional traits and mannerisms in children.

Objective: The goal of this study is to further explain the parental and familial influence on child behavioral development.

Design & Method: The qualitative design of this study synthesizes peer-reviewed literature and journals within the nature versus nurture discord community from 2008 to 2009. The topics addressed include, but are not limited to, the influence of parental emotionality and expressiveness on externalizing child behaviors, the differential influence of maternal and paternal parenting strategies, the impact of parental warmth, autonomy support, and structure on developmental dimensions, the effects of conditional parental regard on competent contingent self-worth, and the associations between family structure transitions and conflict on child characteristic development. Analysis and review of relevant evidence from the referenced sources are reported in the results chapter. The questions this research aims to explain are: To what extent do parenting styles and ways of interaction influence the development of child behaviors and habits? In what ways do parents influence children's social, cognitive, and emotional milestones and achievement? How does the Family dynamic correlate with behavioral changes in children?

Results: This study is significant because it meets the educational needs of proper and improper parenting and provides supporting evidence of variable parenting styles and family dynamics being influential towards the development of internal and externalized child behaviors. Just as gender is a factor of differences in parental strategies and emotionality, gender is a factor of difference in the development of behavioral characteristics in children.

Conclusions: Intentional or not, parental influence is inevitably associated with the development of cognitive, social, and emotional behavioral tendencies in children. As we progress into the future and uncover new data around the parental influence on child development, we must learn from the mistakes, and beneficial strategies of our parents spread that knowledge to others through studies, articles, and social media, and hope for more positive child outcomes.

Keywords: Nature versus Nurture, parental influence, influenced child behaviors, influenced child habits, parental interaction, child development, parenting styles, socio-emotional development, cognitive development, emotional development, behavioral development